A Navy SEAL and Northampton native who led a firefight and rescue mission on a snow-covered mountaintop in Afghanistan in 2002 will receive the Medal of Honor later this month.

On May 24, President Trump will present the military’s highest honor to retired Master Chief Petty Officer Britt K. Slabinski at the White House, according to a White House press release.

Growing up around Northampton, Slabinski earned the rank of Eagle Scout at 14 and graduated from Smith Vocational and Agricultural High School in 1988. After his graduation, he enlisted in the U.S. Navy and attended boot camp in Orlando, Florida, before fulfilling a lifelong dream to become a Navy SEAL in 1990 as a member of Basic Underwater Demolition SEAL Class 164.

Mark Ames, the deputy assistant registrar for the Northampton Trial Court who went to junior high with Slabinski, said he first learned about the rigorous requirements of being a Navy SEAL from study hall conversations with Slabinski.